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Interactive
Music Theory

Music theory.net: Simple and Compound Meter

For Students 9th - 10th
Examples of simple and compound meters, as well as explanations of the terms duple, triple, and quadruple. Plenty of illustrations accompany this terrific resource. By MusicTheory.net.
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Interactive
Music Theory

Music theory.com: Introduction to Chords

For Students 9th - 10th
A description of augmented and diminished triads/ chords. Provides illustrated examples with highlighted vocabulary words,a printable chart, and audio clips to supplement the lesson.
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Interactive
Music Theory

Music theory.net: Steps and Accidentals

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an explanation of half steps, whole steps, flats, and sharps. Illustrated examples accompany these definitions.
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Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: How to Read Music

For Students 9th - 10th
Like an actor's script, a sheet of music instructs a musician on what to play (the pitch) and when to play it (the rhythm). Sheet music may look complicated, but once you've gotten the hang of a few simple elements like notes, bars and...
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Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Classical Music: What Is Classical Music?

For Teachers 5th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] A biographical text explaining what classical music is. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
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Handout
Music Education

Learning to Read Music: Types of Rests

For Students 3rd - 8th
This tutorial teaches students the different kinds and values of rests in music notation.
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Handout
Music Education

Learning to Read Music: Basic Counting

For Students 3rd - 8th
Apply basic knowledge of reading music by counting beats and reading notes. Here are some simple lines of music which incorporate different types of notes and patterns in common time.
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Handout
Music Education

Learning to Read Music: Basic Counting, Part 2

For Students 3rd - 8th
Beginning musicians can practice reading notes and counting beats using this resource that also provides several lines of music with different types of notes, rests, and time signatures.
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Article
Other

Music Theory First Aid for Struggling Students

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides music theory information on such topics as rhythm, intervals, scales, chords, etc. Also, there is a fine section which describes the basic concepts of form and structure.
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Website
Music Theory

Music theory.net

For Students 9th - 10th
An online beginning music theory and ear training site. This site is for students to use at home to reinforce what they learn in class.
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Handout
Music Education

Learning to Read Music: Symbols in Music

For Students 3rd - 8th
This introductory tutorial teaches students basic musical notation for compressed rests and sharps and flats. Further lessons are linked to this page.
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Unit Plan
Open Curriculum

Open Curriculum: Introduction to Reading Music

For Teachers 9th - 10th
To provide suggestions for learning music independently and accurately
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Interactive
Other

Blokfluitkids

For Students 3rd - 8th
Colorful, interactive Dutch language website that introduces students to recorders and wooden flutes. It shows how the flutes are made and the different sounds they make. Site also activities that let students play along (practice...
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Music Terms & Symbols

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart is for music teachers who want to review terms and symbols used for reading music.
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Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Line Notes and Space Notes

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
This lesson will help students determine whether the notes on a staff appear on a line or on a space. Students also will recognize how many lines and spaces are on a staff.
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Handout
Music Education

Learning to Read Music: Shaping and Volume of Music

For Students 3rd - 8th
This introductory tutorial introduces students to basic symbols and notation in music.
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Handout
Other

Mml: Notation Module: Clef

For Students 9th - 10th
Although very simple in its design, this short piece gives a nice overview of musical terms, one of which is the treble clef. The author briefly discusses the attribute of "key" in conjunction with the clef.
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Handout
Ohio State University

Huron's Review of C. Krumhansl's Cognitive Foundations

For Students 9th - 10th
This book review clearly states in the first paragraph what is not included as part of the text. The book centers its content around the "perception of key." The author is known for her "probe-tone" method, which is defined. For a book...
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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian: Shape Note Singing [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
An essay and lesson plan on traditional American shape-note choral singing.
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eBook
Other

Ruby Cliff Computing: Learn Guitar Theory With Virtualoso Guitar

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a fantastic site that teaches basic music reading, especially as related to the guitar. Although the site is a promotional software site, the trial version is excellent by itself.